SAS postpones Nordic credit card fee

Despite positioning itself as a fee-free airline, SAS had been planning to introduce a controversial credit card fee in October, applicable in the Nordic countries and in six other European countries. Now, however, SAS has dropped the fee for the Nordic countries, although it still stands for the other European markets (Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Ireland), to be introduced on October 16.In Denmark, the fee was to be 1.8% of the ticket price and 2.2% of the fare in Norway and Finland. The fee would not have applied to fliers from Swedish airports due to a special law there. However, since the markets became aware of the plans, business customers in particular questioned the scheme. Business customers have for many years chosen to use credit card companies’ special travel account solutions for payment for flights. The airline had indicated that it was willing to negotiate fee levels with large customers. But now SAS has postponed the date of implementation in the Nordic markets.“We could not within the allotted timeframe implement a solution that was simple and transparent for customers,” SAS press officer in Denmark Trine-Kromann Mikkelsen said. “So we have decided to postpone the implementation and we are not yet ready to announce a new date.”Check-in[pictured: SAS Airbus A340; courtesy SAS]

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